Becky Sauerbrunn: ‘Stop hateful bills targeting transgender athletes’
Transgender women are "not a threat to women’s sports," the USWNT captain writes.
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The North Carolina Courage have released defender Taylor Smith, with the two sides mutually agreeing to part ways on Wednesday.
“We wish Taylor all the best and thank her for all she has done for the Courage on and off the field,” Chief Soccer Officer Curt Johnson said.
Smith first joined the club in 2016 when they were still the Western New York Flash. She won the NWSL Championship with the club and then spent time with the Washington Spirit and the now OL Reign, then Reign FC. Traded to the Courage in December 2023, she’s recorded 63 appearances in the regular season for the Flash and Courage.
Throughout that time, she tallied two goals and four assists.
Smith has played in four games so far this season, completing 55.6 percent of her passes. She was even better in the Challenge Cup, which the Courage won, with a 65.8 percent success rate on her passes. She also was 66.7 percent successful in her tackles and started in five out of the eight games.
Transgender women are "not a threat to women’s sports," the USWNT captain writes.
"We will do better," the commissioner said.
The NWSL season begins March 25.
The NWSL historically has not enforced strict FIFA windows.